In Response to Will Ferguson's Post: Interactive TV

Do you think interactive TV is going to be the next big thing for entertainment?

I could definitely see television headed in this direction and become increasingly popular over the next several years. With so many shows similar to American idol, dependent upon viewer voting and decision making, it seems as if most shows will have to have an element to be decided by the viewers in order to maintain ratings. Several shows similar to "Opposite Worlds" have already been produced and have been on for years. Although the situation is not as extreme, shows like "Big Brother" (in its twelfth season) places contestants in a house competing against each other, and based on what viewers observe, they vote to send contestants home. In some cases viewers of certain shows may decide what a person eats, wears, or even does, such as ABC's "The Glass House"  With shows like this becoming increasingly popular, I'm sure a station will attempt it's own sort of Hunger Games scenario, although not as extreme, but perhaps a more intense take off of CBS's "Survivor" The question however is if these shows are a good thing, or if watching people competing in extreme make-believe situations is a bit too much.

Do you think Television Stations may go too far in the future in regards to the viewer-voting competition shows, similar to "Survivor", "Big Brother", and the new ones to come?

Intrusive Advertising?

Recently I've noticed that products I search for on Google, happen to show up in Ad spaces on various websites, placed there by Google Ads. In one case there was a long-board I was looking to buy that I had researched using Google, and for a whole month it would appear on almost every website I visited as a Google Ad. These Ads are present because of Google saving my form data on my computer, or possibly even the searches themselves. I can understand their approach, by placing the products that I search for in front of me constantly, greater increases my chances of clicking their Ads and buying the product. However is it okay that they remember what products I buy, and is there a chance they may also be saving all of my searches to gear their Ad spaces to fit my personality? For example I was looking up basketball stats, between Lebron James and Michael Jordan, as well as some new basketball shoes, three of which appeared the next day in this ad below. Is it possible they will create a marketing scheme personalized towards me, and constantly barrage me with basketball shoes and products?

Although this may be a creative form of effective advertising, I can't help but think it is a slight invasion of privacy.

Which raises the question, what is the limit to which companies can find customer research to create effective advertising?